By Abdulgafar Oladimeji.
The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria IDN Kano State Chapter has task the management of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) to establish an internship centre to ease the burden of prospective dialecticians in Northern Nigeria.
The President, Institute of Dietetics In Nigeria (IDN) RDN Auwal Musa Umar made the appeal on Thursday, during a visit to the Chief Medical Director, CMD of AKTH, professor Abdulrahman Sheshe as parts of activities to mark the 2021 National Nutrition Month(NNM)
Auwal said explained that there is the urgent essence to set up an internship centre for dietetics in the hospital adding that the centre should be targeted to reduce the huge number of graduates that could not practice the profession owing to the absence of accredited centre in the region.
He further appealed to the management of the hospital to encourage its members of staff attached to Nutrition and Dietetics Department to proceed on further studies to broaden their horizon.
He said “ this visit was a part of the activities of the association designed to celebrate National Nutrition Month (NNM) which takes place in March of every year, when we focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.”
The CMD, AKTH, Professor Abdurrahman Sheshe express his the delight over the existence of an aegis for practicing dieticians in the state.
Sheshe said “ we are absolutely ready to work together for the betterment of the good people of Kano State and Nigeria at large.
“students need to have place for their trainings in the hospital for the purpose of producing professional Dietitians, who can execute the tasks given, for better solution as well as designed approach to management of patients.
“The importance of Nutrition and Dietetics cannot be over emphasized, we are working hard with Bayero University Kano, BUK, to move the course from the Basic Medical Sciences to Allied Health Sciences because, it is a pure clinical course .
The CMD also pledged to engage Bayero University Kano, BUK with the motive to pursue the creation of an internship Centre for Dietitians in the hospital.